Aeroplane



C. TWINING.

AEROPLANE. AP'PLacATloN FILED Dc.14. 1916.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w/TNESSES Q/)w/ Q/ ATTORNEYS flux CULUMDIA PLANOGRM'H fn.. wnslllNu'rON, D. c.

Pmntedsept. 9,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7/ H lull-I c. TWINING. AEHOPLANE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. I4. 1916.

UNITED e Aries PATENT erm CHARLES TWINING, 0F LOCUS'II." POINT,NEW JERSEY.

i AEROPLAN.

To (/ZZ infima t may (immoral Be it known that I, (litoranea Tivinincea subject oil. the King offilreat Britain, `and a resident of Locust"loiiit,in the County of Monuiifiuth, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Iiiiproved aeroplane, of which, tl ie following ie a full, clear, and exact deecription. i

The present inveiitioii relates to neroplanes, and more particularly ineaneltor ele` rating and Controlling the path of iiiove-` nient oi. the aerolilane` The oliject oi iuiy invention is to provide a lifting plane lioraii aeroplane with iiieane to operate the plaiieto iiiipart thereto vertical and loiipjitmlinal inoveiiicnte and to pro vide the said plane with incanti whereby the downward movement olf "the plane will be resisted hy `the air, 'whereae the upward uioreiueiit will he Suhetantially 'free from atinijispherxie preesui'e. i i

`A 'further object oiiny `iniiiiition to provide an aeroplane with a group oi superino# poeed lifting plai'ieeepaeedapart freni cach other and operating independently, lont `with a certain time relation so that one or inore ot the said planes eliall always preeentfa closed air-resietingsurface operating` to exert pressure upon the airto raise the aero` plane, while others in the groupare moving without air reeietance ineparatory to` exerting a lifting force. i A 'further object oil? myinrentioniis to arrange the lifting planes that they may be deflected downwardly at theirforward ende p Iroui a .normal eulietaiitially horizoi'iltal po eition 'loi' `thel purpose of enahling);` the Said planes to direction.

Further objects of the intention will apl' pear in connection with the following description ol the construction, organization and inode of ope 1ation oi. that foi-in of my invention. illustratei'l iin the `acoon'ipanying drawings. i i

l/Vith the foregoing objects in View,` iny in vention may `he said to cousiet of anaeroplane provi ded with a euhetanti ally horizon? tal trarne carrying aiplnrality ol? piifotally Supported Slatsiwith means for impartingr to Said .traine upward and downward nuove# niente and movements in the plane oil. the Yframe, whereby the Slate will lie automatic cally opened as the lranie is elevated and aupropel the aeroplane inxa forward Speciwim OfLetterSfPatent- Patented Sept.9,1919,v

Application iiieaneiribei14,19ijfseiiliitofiasete; A

toinatically closed while the traine is lowu ered.` I` p i `g o l My invention" ff iartliel odiieieti o ricee and` combina one ol devices t hi eh `wi ll" `he hereinafter deer, bed and c tried.

Inlthe accoinpauying` ringe, liligure fl Shows in eide eleiiation aii aeroplane ieinhodyf ino' the `iiivention'; f l

tig. 2 shows aiirontfendelevational y Fig. 3 ehowea eec`tioii"lti`iken ontlie line 3`3 in Figyi lookingdownward withiuoet of the parte iii planandwith` the emisor the auxiliary sails broken away.

Fig. el; is a diagranin'iaftie View 'iliuetriiting -in iiill .liiieeone oi' `the lifting and propelling pl aries` as it `has reacheil the upward lli nii t oli its stroke `andie about to he advanced lon` gitudiiially and "forwardly, andlilluitlrating in dotted linee the downward, rearward `and upward iiiovenieiile 'liroiiiltlie poeitiou ehowii` Similar reference charactere will be ein? Y 9o In the drawings, `l indicates the car; @the seat `for thedriven; 3 the Supporting wheela` and lthe engine, all of which ni ay he oi any ployed to designate cori'eepondingr parts,-

euitahle "or preferred 1constrnction,` the engine beingr preferably sonne `form fof inter` nalcoinloustion or gas engine land receiving its fluid from atanlc. f i i i Supported vertically and rigidly from the car 1 are the nprights or stanchi ons (i, there being' two of` such etanelrioiie `located at diainetrically opposite seidee of the ear `1.

In vfrontol these uprighte `6, there aretwol vertically extending uprightsfor stanchions 'i' located at dialnet-ideally opposite pointe of the ear land pivotallylconnected "at their loWerends, asiat 8, to leverst), there being two of `these levers .located at opposite sides of thecar 1, and pivotally connected` at their iroted forwardly of the stanchions 6.

The stanchions or uprights 7 are likewise strengthened and braced by means of the transversely extending rodsl()b (seeFig. 2), and diagonally extending Vstays 13. At or near the` lower ends, the stanchions or uprights 7 pass through guides 14 attached to the, sides of the car 1 (see Figs. 1 and 2), by

means of which the lower ends of the stanchions 7 are heldin position and yet are allowed `to be moved up and down freely as required. The uprights 6 and 7 support suitable bearings in which are mounted crankisliafts 15 which at their outer ends are provided with sprocket wheels 16 and those crank shafts 15 which are supported by the stanchions 6 areprovided with bevel gears 17, and the bevel gears 17 mesh with and are driven by bevel gears 18'carried by vertically 'disposed shafts 19,Hthe shafts 19 being mounted and supported in suitable bearings Y carried by brackets 2() supported by theuprights or stanchions 6 (see Fig. 1). The uprights or stanchions 7 carry crank shafts, the outer ends of which are provided with sprocket wheels 21, and the sprocket wheels 21 are connected by sprocket chains 22 with the Asprocket wheels 16 of the crank shafts 15.

From the foregoing description, itzwill beV observed that a" rotation of the vertical shafts 19 will impartthrough the bevel gears 17 and 118 ,a rotary motion to thesprocket wheels 16,\which motion will be tranmitted bythe sprocket chains 22 to the sprocket wheels 21 lsupported y by the uprights or stanchions 7, and that thusthe pairs of crank shafts supported in opposed relation to? eachother will be revolved simultaneously.

The vertical shafts 19 are driven from the engine 4: through a horizontal shaft 23 and bevel pinion 24 and a transversely extending shaft 25 carrying at its ends bevel gears 26 meshing with bevel gears 27 mounted upon bars 28 and the check bars 32 respectively the vertical shafts 19.` i

Each pair of crank shafts carries and opcrates a lifting and propelling lane, there being in the machine shown in t ie drawings six `such lifting and propelling planes superimposed one above another in a vertical direction and substantially parallel to each other and preferably extending longitudinally of the aeroplane. These lifting planes each consist of a pair of longitudinally extending side bars 28 arranged in parallel re-I lation to each other and pivotally mounted upon a pair of crank shafts and designed to partake of the movements of the said crank shafts.

Pivotally connected to each pair of side bars 28 are transversely extending slats or vanes 29, the slats or vanes 29 being of a length to extend transversely between each pair of cross bars'28, and impinge upon and contact with the under surface ofthe cross bars 28. The slats or vanes 29 are pivotallyV of a suitable wire frame 30 anda thin, n

strong and suitable fabric 31 suificieinbly` light to permit freedom of movement of the slats or `vanes y1n their opening and closing action and sufficiently strong to produce anV effective lifting surface against the pressure of the air produced by the downward move ment of the planes.

The construction of the plane thus described is such that when it is moved by the crank shafts to impart thereto vertical and longitudinal movements inl parallelism, the

slats or vanes 29 on a forward movementV will automatically close under the pressure of the air against them, and when closed the downward movement will exert pressure upon the air,exertingra lifting force, and

upon the upward movement the slats or 1 vanes will automatically open so as to climi-- nate any air resistance to the free upward movement.

In order that the opening and closing movements of the slats o1' vanes shall be unie form and to eliminate shocks and noise incident to their closingmovement, th'elower edges are preferably pivotally connected to parallel check bars 32, which check bars will carry attheir opposite ends cushions 33 arranged to engage cushions 34 carried by ad justing screws 35 set in the opposite ends of the bars 28, (see Figs. 1, 5 and 6).

A convenient means of pivotally` connect ing the slats or vanes 29 to the bars 28 and the check'bars 32 is shown in Figf6 and comprises staples 36 and 37 carried by the and engaging theupper and lower parallel members of the wire frame 3G. This provides a freedom of movement and a relatively strong connection. f Y

ForV the purpose of raising and lowering the levers 9` and thus raisingand lowering the stanchions oruprights 7, YI provide double toggles 37 a which are pivotally connected to the levers 9 `and pivotally mounted upon a suitable support at their lower ends, which toggles are operated by threaded rods 38 which by means of suitable I.bevel lgearing39 and a hand-wheel 51` located adjacent toithe seat 2, raise and Ylower thedcvers l9, so as "to cause the lifting and propelling planes to be deflected from ahoriaontalposition. The levers 9 are pivotallyhung upon the shaft which carriesthe bevel gear 39. y

lVhen theforward endsof the lif y'ng and propelling planes are depressed from the position shown "in Fig. l, tlieywillppcrate not only to `eXerta liftingpressure onthe air, but also a pushing `pressure thereon ina downward and rearward direction, thus causing the aeroplaneto move in a forward direction. f .i l

A suitable rudder i0 is provided pivotally mounted as at 41 to a rearwardly `extending frame 42 supported from the verticalup# rights or stanchions 6, and this rudder `is operated by means of cords 43 `extending` forwardly and around pulleys all downwar to a drum aaO operated `bya wheel dal.`

As shown in the drawings, there are six` of the liftinoand `propelling planes,*a11d the crank sha'ts operatingthem are "angularly disposed withrelation to eachother so 'that their movements will "be sixty degrees apart, that is tosa`y,l;her`e will be a differenceof sixty degreesin.` the angular `position ofthe respective crank shafts, as clearly indicated in Fig. l of the dra`.wings,`by whicharrangement the lifting andpropellingplanes are operated insuclitimerelation to each other that reading downward from the top of 1Fig. l the lifting and lpropelling `"planes will op-` erate in pairs `travcling `downward and up ward alternately and forward and backward alternately, and thus` as` one plane `exerts pressure on the air 'the one immediately be .low it "willbe relieving ipressure, all as will be clear from an inspection of Fig. l ofthe drawings.` l

In order to supplement the air supporting" surface while traveling forward, and while volplaning and to assist in stabilizing and supporting the machine, ,l provide the laterally disposed sails 45 (see Fig. i2` of the draw# ings), which are pivotally mounted upon a transversely `extending rod 4G, at a point above the center of thesesails, the arrangement being such that they will drop by gravity and will normally assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but whenthe machine is traveling forward the air pressure upon the lower portion of the sails 45 will rock them about the shaft 46 and cause them to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, there being suitable stops lleonnected to the stanchions or Vuprights 6 to maintain the sails 45 inthe dotted line position when the machine is being propelled forwardly or when volplaninv. As the sails 45 are freetomove as the pressur@ `of the wind compels mettaient they will automatically act to counteract any tendenc of `the inraehine to drop or to lturn over si ewise thus lproviding automatic stabilizing means. `1 y "Thesails 45 are automatically `operative `and mayadjust themselves tothe pressure of *the i air thereon, land they will be "preferably connected `to cords"fl8 running overa pulley 49 imdcoiled` at theirlo wer ends tothe springicontrolled roller 50, whereby the slack in" the cord i8 l will lbe automatically taken up. This cord 438 will llimit the `forward motion of the llower Lartfof 'theisails Also, Iby `meansof the cortfis the operator may at anytime swing the sails tothe dot# tedline position, i i, i

*In operation,1 assuming the machine to be inthe :position indicated in fulljlines lin "Fig. 1,1upo`n the @engine being started, he rotation of the shafts 19 will -mpart 1rapid revolving` movements to the `respective crank shafts carrying the llifti1`1`,.,`and :propelling plaiies. The movements ofthe planes will `cause an automatic `opening and closingmovement of theslats or vanes 29,the closing movement occurring at lthe beginning of the i downward movement ofthe planes. i When the i slats or vanes are closed, :the downward movement fof the planes causes la pressure `upon the :air sufficienti to llift `the machine, and it is understood fthatfatfall times thisdownwardror lifting` nressure will be produced by a plurality =`o thetplanes,` while others are `relieved lfronriairpressure and lare shoving upward and :forwardlpreparatory` `to a downward `or` lifting anovement i i i w i gWhile the aeroplane i is "ascendingyzthe planes will, .preferably be f supported 1in ia substantially i horizontal p`osit1on,1 `but haw in g :reached `the desired :altitude i the levers 19 ma be lowered, thus lowering the forward `en y s of theplanes which will then exerta Ibaclrpressure upon the au', causing the machine to move forward at which time the sails will be automatically rocked upon the rod 4 6 and caused to assume the position indicated bydotted lines in Fig. l, thus pro vding auxiliary supporting surfaces. When itis desired to descend, the engine may be `shut off and at that time the planes will all automatically close up and coperate with the sails, providing means whereby the machine may be volplaned to earth.

Hav-ing thus described my invention, I

`claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an aeroplane, in combination, a car, a support carried by the car, a lifting `lane carried by said support compris- .mg a frame and a plurality of slats piv otally mounted and depending from said frame and arranged in parallel relation to `each other, and means to move said ico ics

plane up and down and `inl itsoWn `plane in opposite directions at `right Ianglesto the planes of the depending slats. 4 y

2. In an aeroplane, in combination, a ear, a sup ort carried by the car,a lifting` and prope ling planel carried `by said support and vertically and` longitudinally movable on l said support, means for moving-said plane vertically and" longitudinally, the longitudinal movements ,beingi in` parallel planes 4and ya plurality ol'i` pivotally'` supportedslats suspended from` theplan'eS.` l

\ 3. In an `aeroplane, in combination, a car, a support; carried by the foar, a liftingand propelling plane carried by said support and vertically and longitudinally Y. movable on said support, means for moving .said plane vertically v,and longitudinally, `the longitudinal movements being in parallel` planes, and a plurality of pivotally supported slats `suspended from the planes, the distamxebe tween thev pivotal connection of adjacent slatsl substantially equaling'the depth of .said slats. i i H 4,1 Inan aeroplane, in oombinatioma car, a support carried by the ear, a plurality of lifting and propelling planes mounted upon said support one above the other in parallel relation to each other, apluralityof` swing-l ing slats pivotally mounted and depending from said planes, and means to impartflon gitudinal and vertical movements towsaid planes, thelongitudinal movements being in parallel planes. n v

Y 5. In an aeroplane, in combination, a car, a support carried by the ear, a plurality of lifting and propelling planes mounted vupon said support one above thel other in parallel relationito each other,a plurality of swinging slats pivotally mounted and depending from said planes, means to impart longi tudinal i and vertical movementsv to said planes, the `longitudinal movements being in parallel planes, .the movements of adjacent planes being timed relatively to each other so that their position at any given time shall be Substantially in opposite directions.

6. In an aero olane, in combination, a car, a support carried by the ear, a plurality of lifting and propelling planes mounted `upon said support one above the yother in parallel relationto each other, a plurality of swinging `slats pivotallymounted and depending from said'4 planes, `means to impart longitudinal andV vertical` movements to said planes, and n'ieansrto raise andloiver the group of planes at `one `end whereby to change their angularl position with relation to` the horizontal. y y l Y n 7. `Inan aeroplane, in combination, a car,

a support. carried by the.. car, a .plurality of lifting and propelling planes ,mounted onlsaid support one above the other in parallel relatlon toeaeh other, aplurality of a supporting plane mountelpn said` car and a pair of `:swinging sails pivotally mounted upon opposite sidesv ofthe car the pivotal point being nearerone end ofsaid sails than the other, said swinging, pivotally-mounted planes being free to 4swingautomatically about their pivotsin use`v thereby tooperate as stabilizing planes .i l

CHARLES TVVINING.

Copies of this patentmay` be obtained` for ve cents each, by` addressing` the Commissioner bf I'atents.

a i Y Washington, 204C. 

